The Velvets
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Biography
The Velvets, a doo-wop group from Odessa, Texas, were formed in 1959 by Virgil Johnson, a high-school English teacher at Blackshear Junior High School. The group initially consisted of Johnson as the lead tenor singer, along with Mark Prince on bass, Clarence Rigsby on tenor, Robert Thursby on first tenor, and William Solomon on baritone. Before forming the group, Johnson was a DJ at KDAV Radio in Lubbock, Texas. The Velvets' breakthrough came when Roy Orbison signed them to Monument Records in 1960. Their debut release was "That Lucky Old Sun", followed by their most successful single, "Tonight (Could Be the Night)", which reached Number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. Subsequent releases included "Laugh" and several other singles before the group disbanded. The Velvets' complete recorded output was compiled into The Complete Velvets album, released by Ace Records in 1996. Following their disbandment, Johnson returned to teaching and later became a school principal. He passed away in February 2013. Clarence Rigsby died in a car accident in 1978.
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